Telecommunication jacks are generally well known. By and large the telecommunication jacks of the past have been manufactured to standards required for analogue communications. This has allowed for communications paths which may withstand breaks in transmission of up to 100 milliseconds. However, since the world is changing from analogue to digital communications, a considerably higher quality jack is essential. In the digital world, a break in communications of even 1 millisecond could produce an erroneous signal to, for example, a telephone switching system thereby producing undesired results. It is thus imperative to have a more reliable telecommunications connection.
Snap-together jack assemblies are also known in the prior art. Examples of such may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,815 entitled "Self-Aligning Cover for Modular Tricoupler", issued Jan. 22, 1985 in the name of Brzostek et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,106 entitled "Snap In Communications Jack and Cover Plate Assembly", issued May 29, 1984 in the name of Wiseheart et al.
Although it is believed that both of these devices work well, existing telecommunication jacks have been susceptible to corrosion by ingested contaminants from outside sources. The existing jacks have generally been manufactured with no protection against outside contaminants being provided. Furthermore, jack assemblies to date have not had any added means to prevent a snap-fitted assembly from accidentally disengaging.